The release of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s, ‘WAP’, has stirred up a storm on social media and broken charts across the globe. The explicit lyrics and eccentric music video has attracted a range of mixed emotions from celebrities, political figures and the general public.
The song celebrates female sexual pleasure with lyrics such as “certified freak, seven days a week” and “bring a bucket and a mop for this wet ass p*ssy”. Many have praised the song as an empowering feminist masterpiece.
Lena Dunham, creator of ‘Girls’, took to Instagram to express her support for the song by stating “You cannot listen to #WAP and not just want to shake it/celebrate the normalization of female desire!!” in the caption of her post.
Halsey had also posted herself enthusiastically lip syncing to the song on her instagram story. Additionally, Zara Larsson, demonstrated her appreciation of the song by unleashing her dance moves to it on Twitter.
Despite an overwhelming amount of positive reactions, ‘WAP’ has also received negative remarks for a number of reasons; the highly provocative nature of the song, Kylie Jenner’s unexpected cameo appearance in the music video and some perceiving the song as degrading to women.
James P. Bradley, Californian Republican congressional candidate, expressed his disdain for the song on Twitter, claiming that it “made [him] want to pour holy water in [his] ears” and personally attacked the artists by stating that they are the result of “when children are raised without God”.
In response to a tweet attached with a snippet from the ‘Daily Wire’ show, American conservative political writer, Ben Shapiro suggested “that the women involved – who apparently require a “bucket and a mop’ – get the medical care they require.”
However, comedian Dulcé Sloan defended the song on ‘The Daily Show’, saying that “only in a repressed, patriarchal society would people consider a woman’s pleasure graphic.”
To add onto pressing matters, viewers were also unsatisfied with Kylie Jenner’s feature in the music video to the extent that a petition requesting the removal of Jenner has widely circulated.
Although several black artists such as Normani, Mulatto, Sukihana and Rubi Rose made a cameo appearance, Twitter user @RhapsoDani criticised Jenner’s insignificant cameo appearance of walking down the hall and opening a door. She claimed that it was a “perfect visual indication of Black women having to do the most and white women [doing] the bare minimum to get somewhere”.
Furthermore, Deanna Lorraine, former Republican congressional candidate, highlighted the song as a stepback for females as she tweeted, “Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion just set the entire female gender back 100 years with their disgusting & vile ‘WAP’ song.”
Russell Brand also reviewed the song denouncing it’s liberation for women as the artists have used “a template that had already been established by the former dominator”. In response, Twitter user @k8_lister rebutted this by stating that the point Brand is trying to make is that enjoying sex is “exclusively for men” which is the core issue prompting this song, thus a problematic statement.
Although not everyone had the same stance on the ‘WAP’ song, it is undeniable that it spawned one of the hottest pop culture moments of the year. Whether you support this song or not, I’m sure that all of you were unable to escape hearing it just as much as me!
Words By: Ellis Idris
Edited By: Caorline Rauch